A kinetic study of the basic hydrolysis of 2-phenylethyl nitrite in the presence of borate buffer and β-cyclodextrin

Abstract

The kinetics of the hydrolysis of 2-phenylethyl nitrite have been studied in basic aqueous solutions (borate buffer) in the absence and presence of β-cyclodextrin. The observed kinetic trends show that the hydrolysis reaction consists of at least three subsequent processes. The first is a fast acid-base reaction between the boron atom of boric acid and oxygen atom of the alkyl nitrite. The second one should be the nucleophilic attack of hydroxyl ion on the alkyl nitrite. The last process could be referred to as a combination of transfer of hydrogen acid to a water molecule followed by ruptures of nitrogen-oxygen and boron-oxygen bonds. The effect of β-cyclodextrin on each process is also discussed.